City is tops for ice

Skating legend Robin Cousins has praised Sheffield’s ice facilities for helping to attract the sport’s European championships back to the UK for the first time in 20 years.

Around 200 skaters from 40 countries will take part in the European Figure Skating Championships, at Sheffield Arena, on January 23-29 .

The National Ice Skating Association will also use iceSheffield, as a practice rink for competitors.

Cousins, the 1980 Olympic and European Champion, said: “It’s been a long time since we had a major international championship event in the UK and in Sheffield we have a lovely twin padded ice rink for training and of course the Arena, where I spent quite a lot of time for Dancing on Ice and to have a real skating event in there is fantastic.